Television

BBC launches new language training software

16 Oct, 2002 - 01:30 PM IST | By indiantelevision.com Team

FRANKFURT(GERMANY): BBC Worldwide, the chief commercial arm of the BBC has launched Doki - a Flash-based language training software that is available on its new consumer e-learning portal, www.bbclearning.com.

The new portal service, BBCLearning.com, will make a select range of online learning programmes available from third party suppliers, including Eazyspeak Ltds flagship language product Doki. BBC Worldwide intends to promote the online service through its cable and satellite television stations BBC Prime and BBC World reaching 225 million homes worldwide.

The courses cover a wide range of topics and are divided into four categories for easy navigation. Business (including IT skills), languages, interests (including hobbies and leisure) and studies (containing many accredited courses from some of the worlds top universities).

Eazyspeak Ltd. currently distributes beginner and pre-intermediate Doki English and Doki Spanish language learning products with French, World Spanish and US English coming online later this year. Under the terms of the agreement Eazyspeak Ltd will manage the actual logistics.

With Doki, there is no grammar to learn, there are no rules as such and theres no set course one needs to follow. Users decide when and where they want to learn. Doki familiarises you with a language and provides the basics for everyday conversations. The premise is that the longer users stay and play, the more they will learn.

Suitable for anyone over the age of four, the main target audience for the Doki products are the 16-25 year olds. Doki is completely monolingual and modular software and is built with scenarios grouped by real life communication challenges found in the real world (such as introducing yourself, going to the supermarket, checking into a hotel).

Doki can be used as a self-study tool and can complement a taught environment with a pathway set by a teacher. Users decide what they want to learn by choosing places to explore, becoming fully engaged with the animation and interactivity found in each venue. This unique approach empowers and even entertains users who then quickly begin to assimilate the sound, recognise the vocabulary and understand the structure of a new language, without recourse to lengthy grammar explanations or exercises.